Failed move on waivers heats up trade market!

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Montreal Canadiens attempted to add a defenseman thanks to a tempting selection on waivers. Reporter Patrick Lortie pointed out how RDS insider Francois Gagnon revealed that Habs general manager Kent Hughes wanted to claim Boston Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly from waivers, but his $3 Million cap hit prevented the Canadiens from doing so.

Many believe the Habs will be able to bolster their back end by shedding salary and it sounds like a trade will allow Hughes to make it happen. And now, the trade market is heating up. Trade chatter is so freaking loud around Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun that you have to wonder if we won’t see a move take place sooner rather than later.

However, Darren Dreger believes some teams are active on the market and moving away from the expensive player to get a boost on the blue liner. As he explained on the latest edition of Insider Trading on TSN, several Canadian teams are after the addition of a defenseman and could work the phones elsewhere than in Arizona.

“Look, there’s a growing list of Canadian teams that are in the market for a defenseman - you know, Chychrun is high-rent and the ask is tremendous, so we’ll see whether the likes of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton or Vancouver are going to buckle and pay that price or they’ll look elsewhere. But I can tell you those are the teams that are in the market. If you look at Montreal, they’re definitely looking for a right-handed shot; look at Toronto, yes, absolutely they’re looking for a right-handed shot.”

Dreger then presented an option for teams seeking help, though it is not the first time this name comes up in trade chatter.

“Pierre Olivier-Joseph, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is out there, I’m not attaching him to Montreal, or Toronto, or any of the Canadian teams, but Pittsburgh has nine defensemen. He’s a young player, a first-round draft pick, so he might be a fit with one of those clubs.”

Could Joseph join his broiler Matthieu in Ottawa? What about coming to Montreal?

The season is truly underway with trade talks already heading up in the first week of the calendar.